I wanted to like it but just a little to much funk for my palate

The edge between butterscotch and caramel quickly gives way to an overpowering tobacco-like aroma, sharply reminiscent of Skoal. Foral and vegetal tones mingle with a blue cheese funk and a fruity tanginess, I’m guessing from fermentation. The overall nose is wild and layered. On the palate, cooked agave anchors a boldly persistent tobacco profile, once again reminiscent of Skoal. Notes of bleu cheese, oxidized wine, and what some may interpret as overripe or even spoiled fruit (my wife remarked "rotten") complicate the experience. Yet, there's also orange citrus, honeyed caramel, and pineapple with other tart tropical fruit accents. A quiet freshness tries to break through, but the smokiness remains constant, casting its shadow over every layer. The finish is quick, featuring dry, sharp citrus, intensifying pepper, lingering grassiness, and a tobacco note that lingers on the glass. It’s unconventional, bold, and unapologetically distinct. Sure to split opinions but never to be forgotten.

Awesome. Tried among many samples at Sabot Y Cultura Chicago 2025. Excellent almost cream cheese taste for me. So enjoyable.

Barnyard and blue cheese! Really unique nose and pallet, I feel like this would shine with a food pairing. Well balanced flavour to alcohol.

Nose: This is my favorite nose to date. Starts out warm with Cinnamon, baking spice, sweet agave. I pick up on a little funk in the way of smoked cheese and then it transitions quickly to bright, fresh and alive with raw agave, grass, honeysuckle and vanilla. How interesting! Palate & Mouthfeel: The palate surprised me because it differed heavily from the nose. I got licorice, cooked agave, bell pepper, saline, cinnamon, orange, veg, and bittersweet grapefruit rind. Medium viscosity and super pleasant mouthfeel. Finish: Finish was salted caramel and anise with some black pepper spiciness, very pleasant but cut off fairly quickly. Final Thoughts: This one is so unique and very special. What a mad scientist Sergio is for creating Vivo! Will revisit for the more in-depth and eloquent review that this one deserves.

This is one of my favorite tequilas!

Tasted at Sip Tequila Fest As opposed to the Muerto, the Vivo’s flavor profile leaned more into the citrusy & fruity elements of what a great high proof tequila can be. A wonderful expression coming out of the Vivanco distillery.

Nose is cooked agave, smoke, cheese(lactic) and funk. Taste is cooked agave, cheese(lactic) and smoke. The glass was a Chisholm High Proof Jarrito.

Whoa, this is as unique of an experience as I've ever had with a tequila. Complex isn't enough to describe this. On the nose, I am getting white wine sangria (loaded with citrus and berries). There is cooked agave, smoke, black pepper, minerals; a floral arrangement indeed Taste doubles down on the nose and adds green pepper, olive. This is sweet, sour, spicy, buttery, smoky, and even gives the impression of being carbonated like a seltzer. I cannot describe this without taking a complete tour of the tasting wheel (save for the absence of barrel aging). Finish is long and warm. This is worthy of anyone afficionado or explorer to sample.

Strong unique clean agave nose with some alcohol burn, you can tell this is a HP. Such a unique nose, lactic, cheese? Thick creamy palate with a finish that continues on. Small pepper on the finish which is nice. That finish goes on for days in a good way. It’s an easy sipper

Earthy, cooked agave, whisp of smoke, buttery palate and creamy almost olive like brine finish. The more it opens up the more flavors keep coming forward

Nose: sweet/vibrant/clean - light alcohol/ fruit notes -pear & very slight banana / citrus / hint of grapefruit Taste: sweet agave forward/ black pepper spicy / banana/ pear/ citrus / Finish: lingering sweet / some of the black pepper dissipates rapidly leaving a minty fresh taste - not a long overall finish except for the clean/sweet wet finish…with the slight hint of smoke. There is so much flavor and complexity in Vivo. It’s like you can hear every piece of the orchestra instead of just the melody. So many aroma and taste notes that work together very well but each is identifiable and enjoyable. This expression from NOM 1414 Sergio Cruz is amazing beyond words in some ways…my palate is overwhelmed in an enjoyable way. Fantastic.

I bumped this by a point. I just don’t know if anything out there that I’d rather drink. Very unique nose. Beside agave, there is olive earth, light smoke, banana and flowers. That smokiness almost reminds me of bacon and who doesn’t love bacon. The taste is also very unique and follows many of the aromas. Agave is prominent with light smoke, again bacon,, brine and olive. A very nice finish that is enjoyable for a good minute. I am so happy I was able to get a case of this because it is a one and done tequila. Another great one from Sergio Cruz. As of 06/24 this is my favorite blanco. The Higher Proof works very well with this tequila. This is one of my favorite high proofs and even exceeds Fortaleza Lote 26-S and Atanasio Origenes Fuerte. They don’t get much better to my palate. I will say the malolactic note, which comes across as a little smoke, may not be for everyone. But if you like it like I do, then this tequila will tickle your fancy!

Off the cuff, this one gives notes of salty, brininess that I associate with capers or artichokes. Also, a lot of minerality is going on here. Very smokey cheesy finish, not a smokey cheese, like gouda per se but more of a blue cheese with a smokey back end. The minerals are also prevalent in the finish as well. I also am picking up some earthiness, artichokes, capers and black pepper. The funk on this one is real, but it plays a pivotal role in making this one of the more unique tequilas I have ever had. what a treat!

The complexity of flavors is really unmatched, agave, citrus fruits, banana/lemon/lime, floral & herbal, smoky, some funk/cheese, keeps evolving every sip and as it opens, great mouth feel and finish, excellent tequila

This may be the most complex Tequila I have sampled! It's Amazing and Challenging at the same time!! Aroma: The Sweet Agave is at the forefront. And I mean sweet!!!. A very nice Minerality can be taken in. Then a Floral and light Smoke aroma teases your senses. Especially the Smoke! I'm trying to figure out where the smoke comes from!! Grapefruit and Pineapple are present with some spicy Cinnamon. There is a noticeable amount of Mint and Anise on the nose. After several minutes of opening up, plum and dried apricot hang on. And finally, after 10 minutes or so, there's an earthy and lactic note that reminds me of a few Mezcals. Taste: That Sweet Agave hangs out with this smokiness. Again, where does that smoke come from? It's followed by a deep black pepper and cinnamon note. Not a burning hot, but eather balnced. Then the fruits of Melon(Cantaloupe), Grapefruit, and Orange co-mingle together. That Floral note from the nose is also present in the taste. This gives some finesse to such a bold profile. A Vegetal taste mixes with the Anise and Mint. You can taste that this has a very nice minerality to it as well. The longer you let this sit, the more pronounced a dried fruit, earthy, and lactic flavor immerges. That lactic note really helps bring a nice creaminess to the taste and the mouth feel. Finish: The Smoke and Agave ride the finish with the Melon, Citrus, and Cinnamon, along with that lactic cheesy note. Salud!!! This was an incredible Roller Coaster on the senses! An absolute stunner. I'll have to grab another bottle for the future... Sergio, Alex, and Adam hit a Grand Slam with this!!! TMM 91

I love the burst of flavors. I love the dry and briny finish. Superb.

Fantastico! This is like drinking a Mezcal.

Aroma: slight cooked agave sweetness, raw agave, chilies, asparagus, artichoke, black pepper, dry soil, jalapeño. Flavor: cooked agave, orange citrus, salt brine, green olive. Finish lingers for a bit. At first it’s pretty green and vegetal but tappers off to a more sweet finish. Mouth feel is soft and silky and there’s a slight burn in the bottom of my chest. Overall I think this is a very good blanco but the low marks come from the price.

Nice aroma that opens with berries (blueberry in particular), mint and floral notes. A very unique aroma profile. The flavor opens with a distinct sweetness (grapes and berries) that evolves to a good fiery heat (hot peppers and black pepper). The finish is great with a moderate duration. Overall, this is a new and unique aroma/flavor profile that has all the characteristics of a classic blanco tequila. 07-05-2023

SEBCO2217 Batch 1 / Bottle 1312 172077 11/06/22 47.5% ABV Visual: bright and clear with a thin - medium clear edge. Initial nasal impact: heavy prickle. Aroma: Bottom of the glencairn opening - honey, mineral and white pepper. Top of the glencairn opening - Cabernet meets mezcal. Actually, mezcal aroma notes hit as soon as I opened the bottle. Initial mouthfeel: buttery and drying with generous heat. Flavor: cooked agave, mineral, chalk and tropical fruit. The retro nasal really is where this gets interesting, big honeydew/fennel/ancho and funk hit in equal parts and all at once. Some may say 'smoke' comes into play but I think that is more of a funkiness from spontaneous fermentation and the live yeast used in distillation. The finish is jacked up, but harmoniously balanced. Damn, the finish defines this tequila because that's where most of the tasting notes develop. As a mezcal drinker, the Vivo finish provides the same mouthfeel, fruitiness and roundness on the tongue as mezcal. Extra points for the finish, but points off for the price. This is not my pick to convert any Casamigos drinkers into the world of traditionally made, additive free tequila. This is for the experienced palate. And any mezcal lovers looking for a tequila to call their own - Siempre Vivo is one of the best!

Siempre vivo Nose: fresh, mineral, citrus, fruity (honey dew) Taste: agave, mint, you can tell it’s high proof by the slight burn, citrus, vegetal

Lots of different flavors going on in this of you can find as to your collection

Bottle: Batch 01, Bottle 1909; SEBC02217 Batch 1, 172077 11/06/22 Appearance: Clear Nose: Cooked and raw agave, smoke, candied walnut, fruity, asparagus, vegetal, dry earth, mint, minerality, butter, alcohol, yeast/dough, pine, honey, lactic, blue cheese, black pepper, lemon, lime, grapefruit, citrus, and brine/salinity…funky, complex, and outrageously good Palate: Cooked and raw agave, honey, butter, lactic, blue cheese, pine, strawberry, candied walnut, fruity, spring mix, vegetal, smoke, lemon, orange, citrus, cinnamon, mint, ginger, jalapeño, alcohol, minerality, brine/salinity, wet earth, and lactic…thick and oily mouthfeel and sweeter than the the nose, but the progression is seamless Finish: Medium long, buttery, spicy, funky, and smoky…what a ride! Overall: This hits all of the notes I’ve learned to appreciate from agave spirits. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn I was drinking a mezcal…and a righteously good mezcal, at that. This unconventional process really produced something spectacular.

A delicious high proof blanco, pepper, citrus, light mint, cooked agave notes. Nice finish